Tuesday, December 16, 2014

In the beginning of this year, in
January, my husband officiated a ceremony for the renewal of vows of a couple celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. After the couple renewed
their wedding vows, they danced cheek-to-cheek to the tune of their favorite
song “God Knows How Much I Love You” by the Righteous Brothers.

Last June, my parents-in-law
celebrated their golden wedding anniversary too. Both of them are already in
their 70's and have not been separated from each other. So we celebrated their
50 years of togetherness with a simple lunch with close relatives and friends. We
were reminded that married life is not all bliss. It has blisters too, but with
Christ in the center of the relationship married couples can stick together and be happy.

Two weeks ago, in this last month
of the year, a popular month for weddings, we were invited to another golden
anniversary. Teary-eyed the couple renewed their covenant of love to each other. And yes, the elderly husband planted a kiss on the lips of his gray-haired but still
beautiful wife. It was a sweet, tender moment and we the audience responded with
cheers.

Don’t you wish for a golden
wedding anniversary too? I do. In my book
How to Keep Your Hubby Happy at Iba Pang Tips para kay Misis I revealed some
of the secrets to a long and happy marriage shared by real-life couples who
have decided to stay together through thick and thin. Get the scoop from the
book available at Omf Literature Book Shops, National Book Store, PCBS, and
other book stores.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Mamay* tends a convenience store on the street where we live. I would sometimes go to his store to buy an item which I forgot to pick up from the supermarket, or to quickly replenish my diminishing condiment supply. At 86, Mamay moves slowly now but he could still count and give the correct change. At times when I would pass by, I would see him watching TV placed in one corner of his store. This morning, I saw him repacking brown sugar in small plastic packets.

I see him in contrast with my aunt whom we call Nanay**. Nanay remains unmarried and now lives with a relative. She's about the same age as my neighbor Mamay. But unlike my enterprising neighbor, I heard Nanay spends more time watching TV alone. In her earlier days, she went out with friends but soon lost touch with them. It's sad that she has become more forgetful lately, not recalling the names of nieces and nephews, not remembering where she placed a personal belonging, or if she has already cashed her retirement check. I plan to visit her again soon. I hope she still recalls my name and that we could laugh together as we remember whatever happy memories we still share.

Nanay (right in printed dress) holding me

Read about enhancing your relationship with your elderly relatives and creating pleasant memories from my book Life in the Middle. Available at PCBS, CSM Book Corner, and some branches of National Book Store. If you want the e-book version, you may get it from Buqo. Want a signed copy delivered at your doorstep? Please email yahmunar@gmail.com for orders.

*Mamay is a Tagalog term used in Batangas for grandfather.
**Nanay is a Tagalog term for mother. Also used to refer to a grandmother.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Before each year ends, I return
to an annual habit. I look back to the previous months and recall the year’s
events and milestones. This year, we grieved as many people close to us passed
away. But this year, we also celebrated
the gift of life as babies were born to our family and friends reached their 50th
birthday. What an undeniable reminder that life on earth has a beginning, a
middle, and an end.

In one of the psalms, David
affirmed that God created him and planned the number of days he would live on
earth. If the number of our days on earth is limited, how then should we
conduct ourselves so as to live significantly?

Live loving.

Jesus Christ summed up the commands of God this way: love God and love others as you love yourself. Is
there a conflict here? None, if you keep it that way. Because when you love God
first, He will enable you to love others and yourself. But when you love
yourself most, you will have a hard time loving God and others.

Live serving.

Rick Warren said, “There are
three things you can do with your life: You can waste it, you can spend it, or
you can invest it. The best use of your life is to invest your life in
something that will outlast it. The worst thing you can do is to live simply
for today and to live for yourself.” God did not put you on earth to live for
yourself. Look for an opportunity to serve.

Live laughing.

We take medicine to reduce pain
and to prolong life. There’s a saying, laughter is the best medicine. So if you
want to live longer, healthier, laugh more often. Laughing boosts immunity and
lowers stress hormones. It adds zest to life and improves relationships. And
people tend to be more attracted to cheerful individuals. You’d want that,
right?

Live wondering.

As we grow older, we lose our
sense of wonder. We get busy and give up smelling the flowers. We face troubles
and get tired easily. When dreams become unreachable and we fail to reach our goals, we
lose our hope. When these happen, it’s time to pause and recharge. Enjoy God’s
creation. Discover ways of doing things differently. Do something new. Recover
your sense of wonder; God is a wonderful God and He is doing wonderful things
in our lives.

Whatever stage of life you are in now, live loving, serving,
laughing, and wondering.

Learn more tips on how to live significantly from my book Life in the Middle. Available at PCBS, CSM Book Corner and other book stores. Or if you want the e-book version, get it from Buqo. If you want a signed copy delivered at your doorstep, please email me at yahmunar@gmail.com.

Monday, March 10, 2014

It was one of those days when I
found myself wishing again for something more. I wanted something more and yes,
it was something material. I imagined what I could do if only I have more of
what I already have. By coincidence, I heard a preacher on radio say something
that snapped me back to my senses. “Don’t take for granted what you have. Don’t
get tired of your manna.”

In biblical history, manna is food
miraculously supplied to the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years. They
were thin flakes that appeared on the desert floor every morning. According to
the Exodus account, it was white and tasted like wafers with honey (Exodus
16:31). That’s why it was aptly described as bread from heaven. In spite of the
seemingly sweet taste of this miraculous provision, the Israelites lost appetite
for it and craved for meat.

The
radio broadcast was a heaven-sent message for me. I was reminded to be thankful
for the things I already have, no matter how little or few they may be. Six
days later, my family and I would experience what I would consider as almost miraculous--we
would receive manna for the next six days.

On Friday, my friend texted me to
ask if I was home. Less than an hour later, she was knocking on our door and
handing to us a bag full of goods from the wet market: eight fillets of blue
marlin, the half of a big squash, about a kilo of ripe mangoes, also a kilo of
red tomatoes, three salted eggs, and two pieces of eggplants. We were surprised
at the bounty she brought to us. The following day, Saturday, a couple who came
from Tagaytay brought us a pasalubong of
one big watermelon and two small pineapples. We were so thankful because we
love fruits.

We were already pleased
and satisfied with our surprise supply of fish, fruits, and vegetables for the
past two days, but another feast was yet to come. On Sunday, a couple we know
celebrated their wedding anniversary. We didn’t go to their celebration but
they sent us a sample of the delicious dishes they served--lumpiang shanghai, pork caldereta, and pansit bihon. I didn’t have to cook lunch and dinner for our family
that day!

Monday came, and
a colleague came too. She dropped by the house just to sign some papers but she
didn’t forget to bring four oranges, one for each of the members of our small
family. That’s four days in a row of blessings coming to our abode. Our
next-door neighbor felt prompted to share his blessings too for on Tuesday, he
gave us five pieces of heart-shaped green Indian mangoes, freshly plucked
and coated with shiny resin. No one came on Wednesday and Thursday with a bag of
grocery, but on Friday night, my daughter arrived from a cell group meeting
with two big maya-maya (red snapper). The mother of one of her cell members
gave the fish to our family as a present. Of course, I turned them into our
favorite sour stew.

Getting all
these free food felt like receiving manna. I said in the beginning that I was
wishing for something more, but actually it wasn’t food, it’s something else.
But the same principles stood out from our one week of manna experience. First,
God knows our needs and even wants, and He can amply supply. But more than
satisfying our stomach, God is concerned that our hearts are right. God wants
us to have a thankful spirit.

I also learned not to take for
granted what I have. Let’s not forget that aside from material wealth, our
family and friends are one of our treasures. They can be used by God as
channels of blessings. In return, we can also share with others whatever we
have. Don’t underestimate whatever “little” you think you may have. Until you
give it away, you’ll never experience the joy of realizing that it’s the
miraculous provision someone is waiting for.

2017 Light to My Path

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About Me

Marlene Legaspi-Munar is often reflective and derives pleasure from discovering. She is eager to learn, and loves sharing with others what she has learned. That's why it is natural for her to write, translate, teach, and speak. Whether she is writing, translating, speaking in a seminar, or teaching a class, she seeks to inspire and instruct. Marlene also enjoys traveling.